Twist lever toy

ABSTRACT

A mobile toy of the type designed to move over a surface or through the air and comprising an energy storing rotary element in the form of a flywheel which, when set into rotational motion, provides energy to propelling means thereby causing movement of the toy. The flywheel includes a hub with a centrally located channel designed to movably engage a driving means in the form of an elongated drive shaft having a convoluted outer surface. Linear movement of the shaft within the channel relative to the flywheel causes rotation of the flywheel due to the correspondingly shaped convoluted configurations of the exterior surface of the shaft at the surface of the channel.

United States Patent Winston [54] TWIST LEVER TOY [72] Inventor: EmanuelA. Winston, 871 Marion Ave., Highland Park, 111. 60035 [22] Filed: Feb.19, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 116,903

[52] US. Cl ..46/75, 46/206 [51] Int. Cl. ..A63l1 27/12 [58] Field ofSearch ..46/47, 64, 65, 68, 75, 206, 46/209 [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 2,035 ,531 3/1936 Butcher ..46/75 2,645,055 7/1953Ruczynski ..46/75 1,914,438 6/1933 Labin ..46/206 2,873,553 2/1959Ullman ..46/209 1,952,547 3/1934 Graves ..46/64 X 1,985 ,716 12/ 1 934Bueschel ..46/68 1 Aug. 29, 1972 Primary Examiner-Louis G. ManceneAssistant Examiner-D. L. Weinhold Attorney-Stefan M. Stein ABSTRACT Amobile toy of the type designed to move over a surface or through theair and comprising an energy storing rotary element in the form of aflywheel which, when set into rotational motion, provides energy topropelling means thereby causing movement of the toy. The flywheelincludes a hub with a centrally located channel designed to movablyengage a driving means in the form of an elongated drive shaft having aconvoluted outer surface. Linear movement of the shaft within thechannel relative to the flywheel causes rotation of the flywheel due tothe correspondingly shaped convoluted configurations of the exteriorsurface of the shaft at the surface of the channel.

10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUG 29 I972 FIG.3

' INVENTOR EMANUEL A.W|NSTON BY my ATTORNEY.

TWIST LEVER TOY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the InventionThis invention relates to a toy which may be in the form of anautomobile, airplane, boat or the like and which is designed to moveover a surface or through the air, for a relatively long period, bymeans of a rotationally mounted flywheel which supplies energy topropelling means in the form of wheels or a propeller.

2. Description of the Prior Art There are a wide variety of toys such asairplanes, helicopters, automobiles, boats and the like which aredesigned either to move over a surface, including water, or through theair. In designing toys capable of such movement, it is desirable toprovide a sturdy, relatively uncomplicated drive assembly to providesuch motion. Toys of this type must be both sturdy and uncomplicatedsince they will be subject to rather rough treatment in the hands ofsmall children. However, such toys should be capable of high performancein order to be popular with children and therefore be attractive fromthe commercial standpoint. Accordingly, the manufacturers and designersof conventional mobile toys run into the problems of providing aninexpensive, durable toy of relatively simple structure but capable ofperforming efficiently under relatively abusive conditions.

A number of conventional mobile toys have been designed to accentuatethe performance features in an attempt to make these toys more popularfrom a commercial standpoint. However, in increasing the performance ofsuch toys, manufacturers have resorted to relatively complex driveassemblies which have the effect of raising the cost and also making thetoys less durable. This, of course, is unsatisfactory since the morecomplicated drive assemblies readily break down, thereby necessitatingrepair or rendering the toy inoperative and useless.

In order to overcome the above problems, a need has arisen for aninexpensive mobile toy drive assembly having a simple structure with aminimum number of moving parts and which is capable of efficientoperation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a high performancemobile toy of durable construction, of the type described, whichovercomes the problems generally associated with mobile toys of thisnature.

More specifically, the toy may be in the form of a helicopter, airplane,boat, automobile or like vehicle, and is provided with an energy storingrotary element. This rotary element may be in the form of a flywheelwhich is rotationally mounted on the body of the toy and which includesa hub having a substantially centrally located channel. The flywheel maybe weighted through the use of a plurality of weighted elements whichmay comprise a number of annular shaped discs removably attached to thehub in order that the weight of the flywheel may be varied as desired.Each of the toys on which the flywheel may be mounted includes varioustypes of propelling means including wheels, propellers or the like. Theflywheel is connected directly to the propelling means by any applicabletype connecting means. Once the weighted flywheel is set in motion, ithas a gyroscopic effect which tends to drive the propelling means for arelatively prolonged period thereby moving the toy vehicle in a desireddirection.

A driving member comprising an elongated shaft having a threadedexterior surface, arranged in a substantially convoluted configuration,is provided to operatively engage the flywheel, causing it to rotate andcausing the toy to move as desired. Rotation of the flywheel occurs dueto the fact that the surface of the channel, of the hub, iscorrespondingly shaped to conform to the convoluted surface of the driveshaft. Accordingly, when the shaft is forced through the channel in aco-linear direction to its own longitudinal axis, and perpendicular tothe plane of the flywheel, the flywheel rotates relative to thelongitudinal axis of the shaft.

Means to direct the movement of the shaft relative to the flywheel isprovided by sleeve means attached adjacent to the hub and designed tohave the shaft move therein. It should be noted that the shaft iscapable of movement in either direction co-linear to its ownlongitudinal axis. Of course, the direction of linear movement of theshaft relative to the flywheel determines the direction of rotation ofthe flywheel and accordingly direction of rotation of the propellingmeans. This allows the toy to move in either forward or reversedirection with equal performance characteristics.

In operation, the body of the toy is held in the users hand and theshaft is inserted in the channel of the hub of the flywheel. Once theshaft is fully inserted, the flywheel is set in motion by rapidly andforcefully withdrawing the drive shaft by means of a handle which may beattached to either extremity of the shaft. When the flywheel is set inmotion, the gyroscopic effect created thereby tends to maintainstability of the axis of the flywheel thereby making it efficient foroperation in a helicopter type toy.

It can therefore be seen that a number of the problems prevalent inconventional type mobile toys are solved utilizing the drive assembly ofthe present invention.

The present invention accordingly comprises the features ofconstruction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts whichwill be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and thescope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a fuller understanding of thenature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of the drive assembly of the presentinvention utilized in a helicopter type toy.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the drive assembly utilized in anautomobile type toy.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the cooperation between the flywheel anddrive shaft.

FIG. 4 is a top sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 showingthe direction of rotation of the flywheel.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this invention relates to various types ofmobile toys generally indicated at and including a body 12 which may bemade from a molded plastic or like durable material. Depending upon thetype of toy vehicle in which the present invention is utilized, apropelling means which may be in the form of propeller 14 or wheel 16serves to move the toy vehicle. The propelling means is driven by adrive assembly generally indicated at 18 movably mounted on the body 12of the toy. The driving assembly comprises a rotary element in the formof a flywheel 20 which includes a central hub 22 having a centrallylocated channel 24. An outwardly extending flange 26, having a pluralityof connecting means 28 in the form of threaded bolts or the like, areused to attach weighted elements 30 to the hub. These elements 30 areannularly shaped to fit in a stacked array about hub 22 and may beeasily removed therefrom by means of removing the bolts 28. This allowsthe weight of the flywheel to be'varied as desired.

The drive assembly further comprises a driving member in the form of adrive shaft 32 having a spiral or substantially convoluted exteriorsurface thereon. The formed threads 33 on shaft 32 are designed tocooperate with the wall or surface of channel 24 which is alsocorrespondingly shaped. Consequently, as shaft 32 moves in a co-lineardirection relative to its own longitudinal axis, as indicated by arrow34, hub 22 and consequently flywheel 20 is caused to rotate due to theinteraction of the cooperating surfaces of channel 24 and shaft 32. Asindicated by the arrow 34, the shaft 32 may move in either direction. Itis obvious that the direction of rotation of flywheel 20, as indicatedby arrow 36 in FIG. 4, is dependent upon the direction of movement ofshaft 32 on the interior of channel 24. For this reason, the shaft 32may enter channel 24 from either end thereof and be withdrawn from thesame end by means of handle 40.

As clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 guide means in the form of a sleeve 42are mounted adjacent to hub 22 in order to direct the movement of shaft32 as it moves relative to flywheel 20. In the particular embodimentshown, these sleeves 42 further serve as connecting means to fixedlysecure hub 22 to the propelling means in the form of propeller 14(FIG. 1) and wheels 16 (FIG. 2). Consequently, upon rotation of hub 22,the propelling means will also be forced to rotate thereby providingmotion to the mobile toy.

In operation, the extremity of shaft 32 opposite to handle 40 isinserted through sleeve guide means 42 and within channel 24 of hub 22.Upon being inserted to its fullest point, the operator of the toy graspshandle 40 firmly and pulls the shaft forcefully and rapidly out ofchannel 24 of hub 22. The interaction of the surfaces of channel 24 andshaft 32 causes rotation of fly wheel 20. Because of the rigidconnecting means extending between propelling means of the toy and hub22, the propelling means are also caused to be rotated thereby providingthe desired motion to the toy.

It will thus be seen that the objects made apparent from the precedingdescription, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may bemade in the above construction without departing from the scope of theiikventio it is intended at all matt r contained in the a ove escriptionor s own in e accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Now that the invention has been described,

What Is Claimed Is:

1. A toy comprising a body, a rotary element rotatably mounted on saidbody, said rotary element comprising a flywheel including a hub having asubstantially centrally located channel; a driving member having asubstantially convoluted exterior surface and movably arranged on theinterior of said channel such that said convoluted surface of saiddriving member movably engages the surface of said channel, wherebymovement of said driving member relative to said rotary element causesthe rotation of said rotary element; propelling means mounted on saidbody to propel said toy, means to interconnect said rotary element andsaid propelling means such that rotation of said rotary element causesmovement of said propelling means.

2. A toy as in claim 1 wherein said flywheel includes means for changingthe mass of said flywheel.

3. A toy as in claim 12 wherein said changing means comprises weightedelements removably attached to said flywheel such that the weight ofsaid flywheel may be varied.

4. A toy as in claim 3 wherein said each of said weighted elements eachcomprise a disc attached in a substantially stacked array to said hub.

5. A toy as in claim 1 wherein said driving member comprises anelongated shaft having a substantially convoluted surface extendingalong the length thereof; said channel including a surface configured tomovably engage said convoluted surface of said shaft.

6. A toy as in claim 5 wherein the surface of said channel has asubstantially convoluted configuration corresponding to theconfiguration of said driving means such that relative movement betweensaid surfaces causes rotation of said flywheel.

7. A toy as in claim 1 wherein said driving means comprises an elongatedshaft arranged on the interior of said channel to move substantiallyperpendicular to said rotary element and co-linear to the longitudinalaxis of said driving means.

8. A toy as in claim 7 wherein said driving means is arranged on theinterior of said channel to move in either direction co-linear to itsown longitudinal axis.

9. A toy as in claim 1 further comprising guide means mounted adjacentto said hub so as to guide the movement of said driving means relativeto said rotary element.

10. A toy as in claim 9 wherein said guide means comprises sleeve meansmounted adjacent to said hub substantially co-linear relation to thelongitudinal axis of said channel.

1. A toy comprising a body, a rotary element rotatably mounted on saidbody, said rotary element comprising a flywheel including a hub having asubstantially centrally located channel; a driving member having asubstantially convoluted exterior surface and movably arranged on theinterior of said channel such that said convoluted surface of saiddriving member movably engages the surface of said channel, wherebymovement of said driving member relative to said rotary element causesthe rotation of said rotary element; propelling means mounted on saidbody to propel said toy, means to interconnect said rotary element andsaid propelling means such that rotation of said rotary element causesmovement of said propelling means.
 2. A toy as in claim 1 wherein saidflywheel includes means for changing the mass of said flywheel.
 3. A toyas in claim 12 wherein said changing means comprises weighted elementsremovably attached to said flywheel such that the weight of saidflywheel may be varied.
 4. A toy as in claim 3 wherein said each of saidweighted elements each comprise a disc attached in a substantiallystacked array to said hub.
 5. A toy as in claim 1 wherein said drivingmember comprises an elongated shaft having a substantially convolutedsurface extending along the length thereof; said channel including asurface configured to movably engage said convoluted surface of saidshaft.
 6. A toy as in claim 5 wherein the surface of said channel has asubstantially convoluted configuration corresponding to theconfiguration of said driving means such that relative movement betweensaid surfaces causes rotation of said flywheel.
 7. A toy as in claim 1wherein said driving means comprises an elongated shaft arranged on theinterior of said channel to move substantially perpendicular to saidrotary element and co-linear to the longitudinal axis of said drivingmeans.
 8. A toy as in claim 7 wherein said driving means is arranged onthe interior of said channel to move in either direction co-linear toits own longitudinal axis.
 9. A toy as in claim 1 further comprisingguide means mounted adjacent to said hub so as to guide the movement ofsaid driving means relative to said rotary element.
 10. A toy as inclaim 9 wherein said guide means comprises sleeve means mounted adjacentto said hub substantially co-linear relation to the longitudinal axis ofsaid channel.